'Hypocrisy' of speeding middle-class motorists

[perplexed]

Speed is something that can be measured, and pretty accurately.

 

Vulnerable road users feelings are not so easy to measure. Nobody has ever asked me how I feel when some selfish moron overtakes me at speeds well in excess of the speed limit, passing about 18 inches away, when I'm on my bike.

 

They may or may not pass me equally as close if they are doing 30 mph (in which zones I do the majority of my cycling), but if they do clatter me, our relative speed differential won't be so great.

 

So just to state there have been X number of accidents or not in a given area is a very small part of the story, and does not reflect the anti-social aspect of speeding.

 

Personally, I'd like to see many more traffic police out and about catching all bad driving.

 

But those who believe that speeding is a "victimless crime" as long as there is no accident are just plain wrong.

[spindrift]

The idea that road safety is predicated solely on speed cameras is a myth, a whole raft of official directives target lawless behaviour, from talking on a mobile to drunk driving to tailgating, driving tired, driving whilst on drugs or uninsured and so on and so on.

 

Nor are speed limits arbitrary. As with the age of consent for sexual intercourse, they are the law.

 

In 30mph areas, where pedestrians and children are most at risk from speeding idiots, the limit is crucially important because the likelihood of death increases exponentially above 30 mph.

[Ravenger]

Another problem with Speed Cameras is that they provide a level of enforcement that's far in excess of what was intended when the penalty points system was introduced.

 

Penalty points were originally designed to be used for speeding detected by policemen - normally trained traffic officers. In general they wouldn't bother with someone driving 5 or 6mph over the limit (it would have been difficult to tell if someone's speed was that close to a limit by eye), but concentrated on the excessive speeders who were driving far too fast for the conditions (not necessarily the limit). They also might turn a blind eye to minor infractions if the conditions were good enough, or pulled someone over instantly for a talking to instead of just giving a ticket.

 

Cameras snap everyone exceeding a small margin over the limit. The tickets take up to two weeks to deliver, during which time the speeder is blissfully unaware they've been caught and can happily commit more offences.

 

Once if you had penalty points on your license you were considered a reckless driver, nowadays it's almost the norm, and some insurance companies will ignore a single speeding offence because they're so common.

 

It's also possible now to get banned in a single trip by tickets from automated cameras - that level of enforcement is far, far more draconian than was intended when the penalty points system was conceived.

[spindrift]

 

Cameras snap everyone exceeding a small margin over the limit.

 

Not true.

 

The Association of Chief Police Officers has a minimum threshold for enforcement of 'Speed Limit + 10% + 2mph' which is 35mph in a 30 zone.

 

If you are willing to gamble your licence on the accuracy of your speedometer, you could 'get away' with 34mph - but you shouldn't be speeding anyway because, as I said, speeds over 30mph become lethal instead of just potentially crippling.

[truman]

Not true.

 

The Association of Chief Police Officers has a minimum threshold for enforcement of 'Speed Limit + 10% + 2mph' which is 35mph in a 30 zone.

 

If you are willing to gamble your licence on the accuracy of your speedometer, you could 'get away' with 34mph - but you shouldn't be speeding anyway because, as I said, speeds over 30mph become lethal instead of just potentially crippling.

 

Funny but most of the cameras I see aren't in 30mph limits...

[perplexed]

Another problem with Speed Cameras is that they provide a level of enforcement that's far in excess of what was intended when the penalty points system was introduced.

 

Penalty points were originally designed to be used for speeding detected by policemen - normally trained traffic officers. In general they wouldn't bother with someone driving 5 or 6mph over the limit (it would have been difficult to tell if someone's speed was that close to a limit by eye), but concentrated on the excessive speeders who were driving far too fast for the conditions (not necessarily the limit). They also might turn a blind eye to minor infractions if the conditions were good enough, or pulled someone over instantly for a talking to instead of just giving a ticket.

 

Cameras snap everyone exceeding a small margin over the limit. The tickets take up to two weeks to deliver, during which time the speeder is blissfully unaware they've been caught and can happily commit more offences.

 

Once if you had penalty points on your license you were considered a reckless driver, nowadays it's almost the norm, and some insurance companies will ignore a single speeding offence because they're so common.

 

It's also possible now to get banned in a single trip by tickets from automated cameras - that level of enforcement is far, far more draconian than was intended when the penalty points system was conceived.

 

My understanding is that they are set at a figure actually higher than the posted limit for the road. So for example, you would not be snapped for doing 31mph in a 30 zone, but you would at around 35mph. And if you are snapped at 35mph, your speedo is probably reading more like 38 mph.

[alchresearch]

It's also possible now to get banned in a single trip by tickets from automated cameras - that level of enforcement is far, far more draconian than was intended when the penalty points system was conceived.

 

But how many people has that happened to? And if it has, surely that's a good thing.

 

Plus, I echo what Perplexed said - loads of people say that your speedo over-reads, and this can be confirmed by checking against a sat nav on a level road.

[DT Ralge]

My understanding is that they are set at a figure actually higher than the posted limit for the road. So for example, you would not be snapped for doing 31mph in a 30 zone, but you would at around 35mph. And if you are snapped at 35mph, your speedo is probably reading more like 38 mph.

 

Indeed, GENERALLY, 35 and above when snapped by a fixed camera result in a NIP. Mobile cameras operated by flesh and blood may take a different view.

35, 36, once the driver owns up, finally end up with a rap on the knuckles.

37,38, 39 can be offered a speed course as an alternative to a fine and points. Snapped at 37, your speedo reads 40.

40 and above don't get offered a course as being beyond the pale.

[mj.scuba]

Sheeesh.....and I thought we had it bad here.....

 

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/news/7939058/Swedish-motorist-facing-worlds-biggest-speeding-fine.html

[Cyclone]

The idea that road safety is predicated solely on speed cameras is a myth, a whole raft of official directives target lawless behaviour, from talking on a mobile to drunk driving to tailgating, driving tired, driving whilst on drugs or uninsured and so on and so on.

 

Nor are speed limits arbitrary. As with the age of consent for sexual intercourse, they are the law.

 

 

Does making something law mean that it isn't arbitrary? I don't think so, it just means that the arbitary number has become part of the legislation.